The festive-season death toll on South Africa’s roads has dropped despite an increase in the number of cars and drivers, the Department of Transport said on Tuesday.
Spokesperson Ntau Letebele said 1 366 people had died in 1 168 crashes over the December 2006 period — a drop from 1 454 deaths in 2005.
”This is despite the increase in vehicle population to 8,1-million and driver population to almost 7,7-million.”
KwaZulu-Natal had the most fatalities with 299 deaths, followed by Gauteng, where 265 people were killed.
The Eastern Cape had 166, Mpumalanga 129, the Western Cape 121, the Free State 117, North West 113, Limpopo 99 and the Northern Cape 57, the department said.
Most deaths were pedestrians, with 547 killed, followed by 454 passengers and 365 drivers.
”Crashes do not just happen — they happen because of certain real contributory factors,” said Letebele.
Contributing driver offences include driving under the influence of alcohol, unsafe and illegal overtaking, ignoring red lights and stop signs, not wearing seatbelts, speed and having no proof of a valid driver’s licence.
Vehicle contraventions such as bad tyres and brakes, faulty steering, overloaded vehicles, not going for vehicle fitness tests and defective lights also contributed to crashes.
”Whilst these contributory factors are present at the time of the crash, in most cases the factors are all known to a certain extent before the crash,” said Letebele.
”Drivers know that they are risk takers and that they will exceed the speed limit, they also drink and get behind the wheel and deliberately not wear a seatbelt.”
It was also the driver’s responsibility to replace smooth and damaged tyres, defective lights and other vehicle contraventions, he said. — Sapa